CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Battery announced on Friday the club had signed forward Jackson Conway ahead of the 2024 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Conway is a product of Atlanta United FC’s academy and rose through the ranks to signing as a Homegrown player with the First Team, debuting in late 2020 at 19 years old. Conway has appeared – and scored – for Atlanta’s senior team and reserve team in the Concacaf Champions League, Major League Soccer, the USL Championship, and MLS NEXT Pro.

In the Championship, he recorded 23 goals and two assists in 74 appearances for Atlanta United 2, including a breakout 2022 campaign that saw him record 11 goals at a strike rate of a goal every 182.2 minutes.

“What drew me to the Battery was the vision the club and the staff have for the city and the fans,” said Conway. “I wanted to be a part of this project and, hopefully, help my teammates and coaches reach the goals we want to achieve by the end of the year. I think this team has a lot of talent and a bright future for this upcoming season, I’m happy I can be part of it.”

The 6-foot-2 forward also scored two goals in 12 appearances in MLS, and found the net in his First Team debut, netting the game-winner against Liga MX side Club América in the 2019-20 Concacaf Champions League.

“Jackson is a very strong and imposing center forward,” said Battery Head Coach Ben Pirmann. “He moves well for a big man, holds the ball up with tidy technical ability and has tremendous scoring instincts around goal.

“Jackson has just turned 22 years old but has over five years of MLS and USL experience, providing the best of both categories. These attributes will be key for himself and the club as we push to achieve our goals in 2024.”

Analysis

Jackson Conway arrives in Charleston as the de facto replacement for departing center forward Augustine Williams, and the hope will be he can replicate the form he showed for Atlanta United 2 a couple of years ago when it seemed as a 20-year-old he had found a new level with the potential for more to come.

Instead, 2023 didn’t play out the way Conway would have hoped, particularly during his loan spell with Phoenix Rising FC that came to an end shortly following a swift red card after being brought on as a substitute in a defeat against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Getting a good preseason with his new teammates should help here, with the end goal likely to record a bounce-back campaign with double-digit goals.